(Pictured above: Colonel Pete Sercer with Chairman of Lexington/Richland School District Five Board, Paula Hite)

Last week (September 19th) I joined several from our community at the Dedication and Recognition Ceremony for Colonel Sercer as the Irmo High School AFROTC wing was named in his honor.

The event took place in the Freedom Gardens of Irmo High School and the list of guests was impressive. Members from the School District, School Board, Irmo High School, the State Legislature, US Congress, US Senate, Richland County, Lexington County, and the media were present on this special day.

Col. Sercer has done so much for our community and I wanted to share a letter our Lt. Governor wrote for this occasion:

State of South Carolina
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
A Palmetto Patriot

It is indeed an honor to recognize

Colonel Peter E. Sercer
U.S. Air Force Retired, Ed. D

It is my privilege to recognize Colonel Pete Sercer as a true Palmetto Patriot. Col Sercer served his country valiantly for twenty-six years, was a Vietnam Veteran, was presented the Bronze Star and also received the Legion of Merit from the USAF. Colonel Sercer accepted the position of ROTC professor at the University of South Carolina and then later became the Irmo High School Air Force JROTC instructor in 1984 until 2006. Under his leadership the Irmo High School Air Force Junior ROTC received the Outstanding Unit Award twenty-two times. During his tenure with the Irmo High School unit, he led the unit to many, many accomplishments. He was always involved with projects for Irmo High School and the community. It seemed as though nothing was too tough for him to accomplish. We give special praise to his ability to lead the members of the unit to great successes. His influence on every Irmo High School student is unmatched and this was a result of his being a great example, a great role model. His dedication to the Air Force core values of “Integrity First”, “Service Before Self”, and “Excellence in all we do” is reflected in all of the cadets that he led. The beautiful project, the Freedom Gardens of Irmo High, reflects his creativity, his dedication, his ingenuity and his love for the school and the students. Col Pete Sercer served his country, Irmo High School and his cadets with honor, leadership, and love for his fellowman. His desire to achieve great things and his dedication to the tasks are assets few are recognized for. Therefore it is a very special honor to name Colonel Pete Sercer a True Palmetto Patriot.

Andre Bauer
Lieutenant Governor
September 7, 2007